Fossil Free Universities Australia

Currently Australian Universities invest millions of dollars in the fossil fuel industry through direct shares and endowments. These are universities that not only pride themselves on sustainable but also lead the way on research into climate change. Their continued support of the fossil fuel industry is risking our climate while also risking the future of their students, their reputation as well as their investment returns.

Despite the clear case for divestment our universities in Australia are being slow to move. There are now over 15 campaigns across Australia building the support of students, academics and alumni calling on universities to divest from fossil fuels.

Find a campaign at your university below.

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Campaigns (18)

  • St Lucia
    Fossil Free UQ
    We, the undersigned, acknowledge and applaud the important commitment that UQ is making to embedding sustainability across all aspects of learning, discovery, engagement and operations. One important aspect of UQ’s ecological footprint that we would like to bring the University’s attention to is responsible financial investment. UQ’s 2012 financial statements list $105 million of UQ’s assets invested either in a managed portfolio or directly in listed and unlisted shares. It is reasonable to expect that a significant fraction of this is currently invested in companies that produce fossil fuels. It is now widely understood that we cannot safely burn even one-third of global fossil-fuel reserves without dangerously warming the planet for several thousand years. We are already witnessing the increasing impacts of a warming planet more and more consistently; in the last year alone our country experienced record-breaking heat, droughts, and extreme rainfall. These events had a grave impact on hundreds of thousands of people and cost our country billions of dollars. Experts agree that global warming caused by humans burning fossil fuels will continue to accelerate and intensify these tragic climate disasters. Adopting the Brundtland definition of sustainability, continued fossil fuel extraction and consumption is inconsistent with the rights of future generations to a safe and habitable world and is therefore unsustainable. Through its current investment portfolio, UQ is facilitating and profiting from the continued and expanding extraction and burning of fossil fuels, despite the harm that these practices are known to be causing to many millions of people worldwide. Over past decades, universities have shown vision and leadership through divesting from the South African Apartheid regime, cluster munitions, and tobacco, and increasingly now from fossil fuels. We believe such action on behalf of UQ will contribute to the wellbeing of current and future students who deserve the opportunity to graduate with a future not defined by climate chaos. We also believe such action would be a sound decision for our institution’s financial portfolio, given falling coal and gas prices, rising costs and a high exchange rate all associated with fossil fuel projects, current and prospective. Furthermore, policies which effectively mitigate climate change pose a risk to the value of fossil fuel companies' assets. To preserve the quality of life for this and future generations worldwide, we call upon you to join a growing movement of universities and institutions around the world that have committed to preventing a more extreme climate by moving UQ’s investment portfolio beyond fossil fuels.
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    Created by Ruby Ludski
  • Divest RMIT From Fossil Fuels
    RMIT is one the leading universities in Australia. It holds over $280 million in financial assets and it is not yet known to what extent these assets are exposed to the volatile, high-risk and environmentally destructive fossil fuel industry, which is driving and accelerating global greenhouse gas emissions and obstructing meaningful action to curb anthropogenic climate change. Fossil Free RMIT wants to see the university commit to it's own guidelines and standards, put it's money where it's PR is and move towards cleaner, more ethical and socially just investment solutions. Atmospheric CO2 concentration levels crossed the 400 ppm threshold for the first time in human history (and in millions of years) and the world is already starting to feel the impacts of increasing extreme weather events, it is apparent that politicians, the state and corporations are unable and/or unwilling to take meaningful steps to curb climate change, even using solutions that in many cases are already available. Instead, the problem is being deferred to future generations. RMIT has the opportunity to actively address this crisis we face by divesting from fossil fuels. Many colleges and universities across the world are divesting from fossil fuels as we speak and as we act together we realise our power to make meaningful change. Let's strengthen RMIT's already strong commitment to sustainability by going fossil-free!
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    Created by Mitch Connolly
  • Ultimo
    Fossil Free UTS
    There is unequivocal evidence that emissions from fossil fuels are driving runaway climate change, with devastating global environmental and humanitarian consequences, while causing irreversible harm to the health, water, forests and farmland of local communities. As members of the university community, we believe UTS, as a public institution of learning and knowledge, has a responsibility to invest its funds ethically. By ending its investments in the coal, oil and gas industries, the university can affirm its position as a leader in social innovation and encourage the move towards a sustainable, low-carbon future. As governments and markets begin to react to the threat of climate change, planned divestment will strengthen the university’s portfolio. Moreover, studies of fossil fuel divestment suggest that a portfolio that eliminated fossil fuel companies from the ASX 200 index exhibited similar risk return characteristics as the index which included fossil fuels.
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    Created by Alana West
  • Parkville
    Divest the University of Melbourne from fossil fuels
    Unless we act rapidly to curb global emissions, we face climate catastrophe within this century. If we are to stay below the 2 degree guardrail for global warming, 80% of current fossil fuel reserves must stay in the ground. Despite this, the fossil fuel industry is committed to burning all of the coal, oil and gas in their reserves, and they continue to search for more. If their business plans go unchecked, we face a devastating future. At the same time, the fossil fuel industry funds climate denial, donates millions of dollars to politicians to get them on side, launches PR attacks on environmental campaigns and blocks legislation that would see us make the transition away from fossil fuels and towards renewable energy. Unless we can rein in the inordinate power and influence of this industry we don't stand a chance of getting real action on climate change. By taking their money out of fossil fuels, the University of Melbourne can loosen the tight grip these companies have over our political system and make room for legislation that is in line with the climate science. As Australia's no. 1 University, the University of Melbourne is well-placed to call the fossil fuel industry out for their roll in blocking action on climate, and pave the way for a just transition to renewables.
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    Created by Fossil Free MU
  • Kensington
    Divest UNSW from Fossil Fuels
    The fossil fuel industry has five times the amount coal, oil and gas needed to push our climate past the two degrees of warming that the world's governments have agreed to as the precipice. Financially, continued investment in companies that extract fossil fuels represents a significant risk to UNSW as these companies will face large devaluations when the world moves to lower emission energy sources. The fossil fuel industry is also known to support campaigns designed to discredit climate science as well as delay action on a shift to renewable energy and address anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions. As a public leader in these fields it is embarrassing that we continue to support these activities. UNSW already leads the way in encouraging and enabling a sustainable future for our society through research and education. A commitment to divest from fossil fuels is an effective way for UNSW to show further leadership. This move would lower the university’s financial risk while also generating positive publicity and increasing support for The University of New South Wales.
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    Created by Environment UNSW SRC Picture
  • Clayton
    Divest Monash University from fossil fuels
    Monash University is one the leading universities in Australia. Numerous Monash researchers (many of them IPCC authors) contribute important research about climate change and its future impacts. The scientific consensus on climate change from these researchers is quite clear, climate change must urgently be addressed. What is needed now is decisive action. However, as atmospheric CO2 concentration levels crossed the 400 ppm threshold for the first time in human history (and in millions of years) and the world is already starting to feel the impacts of increasing extreme weather events, it is apparent that politicians, corporations, and the public in general are unable or unwilling to take meaningful steps to curb climate change, even using solutions that in many cases are already available. Instead, the problem is being deferred to future generations. Monash University has an opportunity to show leadership by divesting from investments in fossil fuels which are driving and accelerating world carbon emissions and obstructing meaningful action to curb climate change. Let's strengthen Monash University's already strong commitment to sustainability by going fossil-free.
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    Created by Kerry Nice
  • Murdoch
    Divest Murdoch University of Fossil Fuels
    We have reached a landmark moment in history. For the first time in over 5 million years the concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere has reached 400 parts per million (ppm). 97 % of all climate scientists agree that climate change is human induced and argue that the highest safe concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere is 350 ppm. If we want to secure a safe and livable future it is time to end the fossil fuel era and invest in renewable energy and sustainable lifestyles. By demanding that our local community divests from this destructive industry we are directly contributing to a better future within the framework of a larger, growing global movement. Another future is not only possible, it is urgent.
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    Created by Madeleine Lundholm
  • Acton
    Divest the Rest For a Fossil Free ANU
    UPDATE: ANU's divestment decision makes it a climate leader? Think again. Last year ANU attracted a torrent of community support, after it stood up to the divestment bullies. But the reality is ANU only sold shares in 7 resources companies, only 2 of which were in the fossil fuel industry. It held onto shares in the biggest and dirtiest oil and coal companies. As the climate crisis escalates, so does the global divestment movement. ANU should be a climate leader. But it has to earn it - time to Divest the Rest! Previously, we wrote: ANU is a recognised leader on sustainability research and teaching. It has numerous commitments to sustainable development, both on campus and in broader activities. So why on this threatened earth does ANU keep investing in coal, oil and coal seam gas? It's unacceptable and, frankly, embarrassing. But ANU can turn this around. It's time to show some leadership on this vital issue and become the first Australian University to go fossil free.
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    Created by Tom Swann